Piston ring



Apl s', 192e. 1,580,092

H. W. STUVER IIIIIIII NG Patented Apr. 6, 19.26..

PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY STUVER, OF DENVER, COLORADO.'

rIs'roN RING.

Application led Hay 29, 1923-. .Serial No. 642,166.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY W. STUVER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Denver, in the county of Denver and State of Colorado, have vinvented certain new and useful Improvements in-Piston Rings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to piston rings and its principal object is to provide a springpressed ring of simple construction which by constant fiuid tight engagement with both the cylindrical surface of the piston chamber.

and a side 'of the piston groove will effectively prevent leakageof either gases or liquids in the operation of the engine of which'the piston is a part.

Another object ofthe inventionlis to provide an improved means for maintaining an impervious contact of the ringwith the engaged surfaces by the pressure of fluids used inthe operation of the engine.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction,

combination and arrangement of parts asv will hereinafter be fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings in which like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 represents a fragmentary longitudinal section of the adjoining portions of a piston and the wall of a piston chamber in which it operates, showing my improved packing ring in its o rative position;

Figures 2 and 3, slmilar sections showing modifications' in the construction of the spring member which acts upon thepiston ring to yieldingly maintain it in its effective position;

Figure 4, a transverse section of the piston and the wall of its chamber, taken on the line 4 4, Figure 1, and drawn to a reduced scale Figure 5, a similar section along the line 5 5, Figure 2; Figure 6, a fragmentary perspective view of a spring of the construction shown in Figure 1 Figure 7 an elevation of a portion of a spring ofthe form illustrated 1n Figure 3; and

Figure 8, a perspective view of a portion of a spring of the construction shown in Flgure 2.

' cumferential grooves 5"*l to seat'the piston rings which frictionally engage the inner surface of the chamber and in this respect the construction does not differ from that of other pistons at present in general use.

My invention resides-particularly in the form of the piston ring and the resilient means which yieldingly maintain it in its operative position.

TheA ring 8 is of the transversely split type which bythe inherent resiliency of the metal of'whioh it is composed, maintains its frietional Contact with the wall ofthe piston chamber.

It is an important and essential feature of the present inventionV that the ring is proportioned in cross-sectional area so that -it occupies but a portion of the piston groove vin which it'is disposed and is constantly in widely spaced. relation to the circumferential face of the groove and to the side face of the (same nearest the end ofthe piston in which the groove is formed.y

The face 8a of the ring opposite the last mentioned face of the piston isl beveled to provide a sloping plane from the circumferental wall of the piston chamber to the space behind the ring in' the groove of the piston.

p The ring has in its beveled surface a depressed groove-shapcd seat 9 for a spring adapted to cause its opposite surface to maintain an impervious contact with the side face of the groove with which it en- I:

gages.

The spring 10 in its simplest form'illu's# trated in Figures 3 and 7, is composed of s ring wire bent in sinuous or zig-zag form.

he sprin is curved in conformity with the circle of t 1e seat in the piston ring and the apexes ofits. alternating turns extend rectilinearly n the direction of the lengthof the spring to firmly engage with the seat and the thereto op osite surface of the piston groove.

The spring inserted under compression in the groove of the ringas shown in Figure 3, extends in practice perpendicular to the side of the piston groove engaged by the ring, and by the tendency of its turns to reassume their'normal form, itmaintains Athe ring in impervious contact with the piston;

In this connection, I desu-e 1t understood that it is not the purpose of my invention to Y provide a spring functioning to press the ring aga-inst the surface of the cylinder wall but that I rely principally upon the inherent resiliency of the ring and the fluid pressure to which it is exposed to maintain its impervious contact with the Wall under all conditions.

In the form`of the'invention illustrated in Figures 1, 4 and 6, the spring 10\has at the ends of its turns which in practice engage with the side of the piston-groove, laterally extending-wings 10 which aid in holding ,beveled and outer .circumferential faces are widely spaced from the corresponding sides 'p f tle groove for the admission of pressure "Ihe beveled 4surface of the ring provides a ready approach for the fluid to the inner part ofthe piston. groove behind the ring and it furthermore causes the pressure of the fluid to be directed toward the points of contact of the ring with the piston and the wall of the piston chamber.' i

It is preferred to reverse the position of Y the ring-and the spring atthe compression end of the lpiston from that at'the opposite Aor crank case end ofthe same 'as illustrated in Figure 1 so that during the reciprocating movement of the piston, the leakage of fluid from the space at either end of the piston to that at'the opposite end of the same, is positively prevented. l

It will bevapparent that the pressure of the spring at right angles to the face of the ring engaging the piston in the groove thereof, the inherent resiliency of the ring, and

thefluid pressure upon the outer circumferential and beveled surfaces of the ring cooperate to eliminate leakage of either oil or gaseous fuel past the 4piston in either direction.

Having thus described my invention, what ton ring having a, Vcircular seat, and a sinuous spring in said seat, the apexes of lthe turns 'at a side of which have lateral wings.

3. As a new article of manufacture a pis ton ring having a circular seat, and a sinuous spring in said seat, the apexes of the turns at a side of whichhave lateral wings extending yalternately in opposite directions.

4. The combination with a piston-chamber and a reciprocating circumferentially grooved piston therein, of an expans'ible Aring having an outer face engaging the wall of the chamber, a second face at right angles to the other, engaging a side of the piston groove, and a third face slanting from a point in the chamber wall opposite to the opening of the groove, to a point in the fourth inner face of the groove whereby to provide a gradually widening passage for Huid from the clearance between the ch'amber wall and the piston, into the piston groove, and a sinuous spring between the slanting face of the ring and the side of the groove to which said face is opposite, having an expansive movement in a direction at substantially right angles to the plane of the ring.

5. The combination with a piston-chamf ber and a reciprocating circumferentially grooved piston therein, of an expansible ring having an outer face engagin the wall of the chamber, a second face at rlght angles to the other, engaging a side of the piston groove, and a third face slanting from a point in the chamber wall opposite to the opening of the groove, to a point in the fourth side of the ring spaced from the inner face of the groove whereby to provide a gradually widening passage for fluid from the clearance between the chamber wall and the piston, into the piston groove, and a sinuous spring between the slanting face ot the ring and the side\ of the grooveY to which said face is opposite.

In testimony'whereof I have aiiixed my signature.

HENRY W. STUVER.

side of the 'ring -spaced from the 

